World travel Destination: Bleach
by EaSnowPw
Summary: I'm an ordinary girl, really nothing too special about me. I'm 1,70 meters tall, 60 kilos, not too curvy, so plain.What is so special about me? Well, it all changed when I went into Sereitei. Yep, I'm from your world, reader, and I got into the turn back the pendulum arc. How? Well, you see…
1. Chapter 1

I'm an ordinary girl, really nothing too special about me. I'm 1,70 meters tall, 60 kilos, not too curvy, so plain. My eyes are brown, almost black, with long eyelashes, which isn't particularly beautiful. My eyebrows get bushy if don't get them shaped often. My ears are small. My lips are ordinary, a little too thin if you ask me. My hair is brown, shoulder-length, neither straight, nor wavy, so overall messy. My nose is straight, but kinda big. My chin is normal. My cheeks tend to give my face a round shape. I have several zits on my face, but luckily, not too many. My back is a whole different matter from this point of view. I hate summer. I can't wear too revealing clothing because it looks awful. What is so special about me? Well, it all changed when I went into Sereitei. Yep, I'm from your world, reader, and I got into the turn back the pendulum arc. How? Well, you see…


	2. How it all began

It had been a horrible day. I did my best not to cry on my way home. I hated my life. I truly did. I had one huge regret: I could have changed it, but I didn't. I had **hoped** it would get better. What was wrong with me? Why was I so stupid? I had spent 4 years with those classmates and had decided to spend **another** 4 the same way! Every goddamn morning, when I entered the classroom, I saw it in their eyes. **Hatred**. Pure, instinctive, strong hatred. Each and every single one of them would look at me that way, almost asking 'Why don't you just die?' I only had one friend, but I had been stupid and now she was gone. I had tried to apologize, but she just wouldn't listen. I had caught her alone many times, without her new friends she had used to hate, but she didn't care. But, that day had been the worst. She just came at me before I went home and simply asked "Why don't you just die? It's obvious nobody likes you. Why not end your pain and do us a favor?" I wanted to cry, but I willed myself not to give them the favor (the others were all looking at us eagerly). Instead, my hand reacted almost instinctively. I slapped her so hard she fell, getting hit on a desk. She yelled in pain. I ran away, not caring what happened. From the corner of my eye, I saw a boy rushing to the principal's office. I knew things would only degenerate from there.

* * *

At home, I went into the bathroom to get changed and wash myself, trying to forget everything. Usually, when I was sad, I sang random songs, sometimes even created some, or I did a kata, seeing as I was practicing karate (I wasn't the type of girl to be afraid to hurt someone). When I was really sad, I cried. I had never been past that. Until that day. I couldn't stop crying. I just wished it all to go away. I fell asleep for a few minutes, only to enter nightmares. I took a deep breath as I woke up. 'I hate my life.' I went to my desk and took an empty paper. I was singing. The lyrics and melody just came into my mind as I pulled out my colored pencils and started drawing, not really looking at it. I wasn't thinking. Drawing had never been a talent of mine, but this time I needed something to keep both my mind and my body busy. It merely took an hour, but it looked amazing when I was done. I couldn't believe my eyes. 'Did I really draw this?' The buildings were very familiar. They were from Bleach, my favorite manga. They seemed so real. I looked at the sky and saw several clouds… moving. 'What the hell?' Looking closer, I saw that the clouds in my drawing were indeed moving and the small people were walking. 'Maybe… maybe I can…' My hand touched the drawing, and passed through. I pushed it in all the way to my elbow. I extended my open hand and felt somebody touch it. I instantly pulled back. I was having this dilemma. I could fully enter. I knew I could. Did I want to? Well, I didn't have too many ties with my world, that was for sure. 'Maybe I can get a second chance there…' The thought filled me with hope. 'Will I be able to come back? Probably not.' I was hesitating. 'You don't gamble, you don't win. Had I gambled my new classroom, I would have won. So… maybe I should gamble.' One thing was for sure. 'If it's worse, I'll just commit suicide.' But I didn't want to lose all my ties with my world, so I chose the most portable communication device I had in my room: my telephone. My right hand entered the drawing, while my left one held the small device tightly. As I felt my head pass, I jumped into the new life I hoped would be better than my past one…

* * *

I perfectly landed on my butt in front of… 'Oh, crap. The Visoreds.' In their shinigami outfits. It wasn't just the Visoreds. There were also Shunsui and Ukitake. And Unohana. And… Aizen. I palled when I saw him. His expression had initially been shock, but now he was grinning darkly. Shinji turned to him. "Sosuke, you creep, you freaked the girl out!" he scolded.

"Sorry, sir."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that one, remembering a joke based on the scene when Shinji revealed Aizen hidden in that illusion thing. But wait! They were speaking… English! Oh, the joy! I would be able to talk to them without having to learn Japanese or anything else. I looked around myself and saw a sword lying on the ground. I glanced at the high-ranked shinigamis. They were scanning my every move, some of them probably still deciding whether I was friend or foe. I touched the sheath and heard a voice in my head. _'Master, don't be afraid. They mean you no harm.'_ The voice was male.

'But, who are you?'

_'Your zanpakutou.'_

I gasped. I couldn't believe it. I was a shinigami! 'What's your name?' He whispered lowly, but I heard it. 'Arashi… Nice to meet you.' I picked the sheathed sword up and rose to my feet. "Ano…" I started.

Ukitake looked at me kindly. "What's your name?"

I gulped. Bad question. I didn't want to tell them my real name. It wasn't Japanese and I was sick of being called by my family name. My classmates only called me like that. '_Nakataka Koizumi.'_ Saved by Arashi. They all introduced themselves. "Are you a shinigami?" Lisa asked.

I shrugged. "Well, no. I have a zanpakutou, I know its name, but I don't know how to fight with a sword, don't know kido or anything of sorts and I'm kinda new here."

Shunsui scanned me. "Well, we can't send her to the Academy if she has her zanpakutou."

"But she doesn't know anything." Kensei interfered. "She can't become a shinigami right away."

I was slightly offended by that, but I didn't say anything. They were deciding my fate, after all.

"Let's take her to the old man." Shinji said. Typical lack of respect.

The others agreed.

* * *

"I'll do it." Before I could understand anything, I found myself in that room where the Taichos gather. Rose was behind me. I knew he had used shunpo. Yamamoto came in soon after. After being described the situation, he came towards me. I looked at him shyly. 'This man can kill me if he wants to.'

"Do you know swordsmanship?"

I gulped, trying to break the eye contact. I couldn't. He was almost hypnotizing me. Or maybe it was my fear. "No. Not even basic knowledge."

He didn't seem pleased by my answer. "But you say you know your zanpakutou's name?"

"Yes. Arashi."

He didn't seem convinced. _'Unsheathe me and summon my power.'_

I gulped. "May I show you my Shikai, sir?"

The old man (yeah, yeah, I'm not any more respectful than Shinji) looked at me doubtfully. "Pray do so. If you lied, I will personally end your life here. Nobody fools around with the 13 divisions."

I nodded, clenching my fists. 'I didn't come here to die.' I wanted to live, to get a new chance. I didn't want my new chance to end so briskly. I unsheathed the sword, speaking at the same time. "Scream, Arashi." Clouds emerged from my blade. I saw the old man's eyes widen. Then I collapsed. 'I probably overdid it.' My sword returned to its sealed state and I sheathed it. I felt really tired, but I willed myself not to pass out in the meeting room. "So you didn't lie. You only know your zanpakutou's name. A Captain assemble is in order."

* * *

From the corner of my eye, I saw Rose walk to his assigned place. He looked fairly impressed, something like 'You didn't screw up, but it could have been better.' I gulped. The other Captains arrived soon and took their places. Only the 5th and 12th were left. "Where is Hirako-Taicho?" Yamamoto boomed. I flinched.

Kensei shrugged. "He said he was taking a shower. He'll be here soon."

The Soutaicho frowned. "We'll commence without him." He presented the situation, which most of them already knew. Then he asked for suggestions.

Unohana spoke first. "One of the Taichos with a lot of free time on their hands should do it." So the 4th, 2nd and 9th were out, as well as the 12th and 1st. The 11th was out from the start. 13 would have been nice…

Rose smirked and raised his hand. "I suggest the 5th." I chuckled. "Anything funny?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, you're only doing that because he is late."

As if on cue, just then the door opened and Hirako came in. He occupied his position, trying to be as silent as possible, pretending not to notice that everyone was staring at him. The old man coughed loudly to distract our attention and presented the situation to him. My eyes widened. 'They're serious about this?'

"Do you have anything against it, Nakataka?"

I shook my head. "No, sir. It's just that I was expecting a female."

"Isn't Hirako feminine enough?" Kensei asked, grinning. I chuckled at that one, like pretty much everyone else in the room. The long blonde hair certainly gave him a rather feminine look.

"Say that to my fist." Shinji yelled. It was too late, anyway.

"Anytime, princess. I'm not mature enough not to hit women."

"Neither do I, actually. You're outta luck."

"Bring it on!"

I was staring at the two of them with an expression between shock and amusement. They were acting like children, for God's sake! Luckily, Love punched both of them and they chilled out. The meeting was soon dismissed. I talked to the others for a while about all sorts of things. Ginrei told me to spar with Byakuya when my skills got more polished. Yoruichi offered to teach me shunpo. "The lazy ass bastard will barely teach you anything, anyway." (exact quote) Shunsui called me pretty, but I tried to avoid going too deep into the topic. Ukitake told me to drop by the 13th every once in a while. I smiled warmly to them, before leaving with Shinji.

* * *

I followed him to an apartment. 'Hm, perks of being a Captain.' I followed him in and he gave me the tour: one big living room (kitchen, also), one bathroom and one bedroom. "Well, it's bigger than the rooms officers get."

I nodded, shyly sitting on the couch. It felt weird, but, for a while at least, that was my home. I looked around. 'Considering whose place it is, it's clean.' Of course, it could have been better, but it was good enough. Warm and welcoming. Cozy. Safe. "Sorry for the _mess_." I could register the sarcasm in his words. "I wasn't expecting any _guests_." Again, sarcasm, which I was doing my best to ignore.

"What mess?" I asked instead. "It's clean. Reminds me of my old room." The thought brought a bitter taste, but I managed to ignore it. Instead, I focused on Shinji, who was rummaging through a wardrobe.

"Where did you come from?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Another dimension. Neither the World of the Living nor Hueco Mundo. We had a manga called Bleach about your world."

"Had shinigamis there in your world?"

"Nah."

"Can you go back?"

I gulped, looking away. "Do you want me to?" Shinji froze for a moment. "It's a yes or no question."

He sighed, turning towards me. "We should get you some clothes… and a bed… and whatever other stuff a girl needs."

I looked at him sadly, then took a deep breath and nodded. 'Why didn't he answer? Am I that much of a burden?' The shopping trip was silent and monotone. We barely talked other than the bare necessity. I bought some clothes, a bed and a wardrobe. Hirako frowned as he looked at his wallet. We were at his place and he was trying to count how much he had spent. "I'm sorry you're stuck with me." I said. I am the kind of person that would rather avoid conflict by giving the other the impression that they're right.

He nodded, not really listening. "Mhm…" Then he seemed to process what I actually said and he looked at me. "I don't blame you. I hate the game, not the player."

We stood there in silence for a while. I was on the couch and he was counting his money on the table. "I can't go back."

His back was facing me, but I could guess a frown. "Is that so?"

I looked away. "You want me to." It wasn't a question or a complaint, just a statement. And he took it as a statement. We didn't speak at all for a while. I wanted to be left alone. I told him I wanted to take a bath and he gave me two towels.


	3. Training

I went into the bathroom. It was quite big and warm. No bath tub, just a shower. But first, I looked at myself in the mirror and gasped. My face looked pretty much the same, except that I had no zits and my eyebrows were perfectly shaped. My face had a pale look in my opinion, but it was probably because I was tired. I usually look like a living dead from all points of view when I'm tired. I ignored it and stepped into the shower, scanning my new look. My skin was flawless, no scars, red spots or any of my old defects. I looked rather anime-like. My hair didn't feel as adipose as it usually did. I felt good in my body. I entered the shower thinking about Hirako. I had decided to keep formality and call him like that. I didn't hate him. Yes, he was cold and kinda offensive, but maybe it was just his way of accommodating. Or at least that was what I thought (hoped). As I finished bathing, I realized I had brought no clothes with me. I stepped out of the shower wearing nothing but the towel wrapped around my body, water dripping from it. Hirako was on the couch, staring at the ceiling. He seemed absent. His face didn't betray any emotion, but his eyes were open so he wasn't asleep. I didn't want to interrupt his meditation and walked to my wardrobe to take out some clothes. I settled on some pajamas, since it was night anyway. I didn't think he was paying attention to what I was doing, until I heard him speak. "Don't get changed here. Do it in my room or in the bathroom. Put the towel in the bathroom to get dried."

"Okay." There wasn't anything else to be said or done at that point. I went back into the bathroom and dried my hair, then got changed and left the towels to get dry. I went into the living room. Hirako was up. "You looked tired, so I figured you wanna sleep. I'm going out to get a drink with the others."

I tilted my head to the side. "Who said I wouldn't have liked to come?" I asked, hands on hips.

He shrugged. "You're tired. I'm not babysitting you. If you had wanted to go home, you would have had to do it on your own. Since you don't know your way around, you would have gotten lost."

"You could've shunpoed me back."

He glared. "You really want to come? Get dressed. I'll be waiting." He crossed his arms.

I frowned. "You ruined my mood. Seeing your face all night would only put me in a worse mood." I regretted saying those words as soon as they left my mouth.

Hirako raised an eyebrow. "Well, guess what? All your life would be ruined from now on, because you're living with me. And unless I declare you apt to be a shinigami, you won't be going anywhere."

My eyes were wide. I gulped and looked away. "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. You're right, I'm tired. It's been a long day even before I got here. I…I should probably go to sleep before I say more stupid things." I turned around, not bothering to look at him as I walked towards the door to his room. "Have a good time."

As I closed the door, I heard him mutter. "Who broke you like this, kid?" I simply assumed I had imagined it and went to sleep, which came quickly. I hadn't even realized I was that tired. Hirako had been right.

* * *

In the morning, I woke up confused. I didn't recognize the unfamiliar room I found myself in, or the blonde male sleeping in the bed at the opposite side of the room. Luckily, memories returned to me quickly. I sighed, remembering our last dialogue, with some regret I must say. He had guessed right, so why did I get all offensive? It was just like me, sarcastic and mean. Maybe people were right to treat me like I was some trash… I shook my head. 'Okay, gotta fix this. I just need to control myself. It can't be that hard.' I soon noticed that Hirako was moving. He turned towards me and his eyes opened lazily. At first, he seemed rather confused about my presence, then it seemed to click with him. His expression became more serious, offensive almost. "Morning." He said (growled).

I sighed. "Listen, Hirako, I'm sorry about my outburst from last night, okay? I swear it won't happen. I didn't come here to make your life a living hell, so… if you don't want me just make quick work of my training and let go."

He looked at me confused, not saying anything for a while. Then he smiled in an awkward way. "Don't worry about it. You ain't that much of a burden."

I nodded, not really believing his words. I shook my head, locking the negative feelings away. "Whatever." I said decisively. "What do you usually do every day?"

He shrugged. "Get up, paperwork, laze around, come home, sleep, then next day."

"Well, what am I supposed to do?"

Hirako grinned, his signature expression. "I'll dump the papers on Aizen and train you."

Later, we were heading towards the training grounds. Aizen was there. I shivered, a feeling of unease surrounding me. Luckily, Hirako saved me. "Aizen, I gotta train her. You do the papers."

The Fukutaicho pouted. "Oh, but Hirako-Taicho, I want to help her as well. Or at least watch."

"Sousuke, want me to spell it for you? Go do the desk shit." Hirako's glare seemed to work. Or maybe Aizen simply feared him. Both options seemed feasible at that point. The unwanted guest left.

* * *

Hirako took two wooden swords from a stash and threw one at me. I caught it clumsily, almost dropping it. He sighed and walked to me, telling me how to hold it and a few stances. I tried to memorize everything. Then he lounged at me. Not as fast as he could, probably not even a quarter of it, but I was caught unprepared. I took a step back, his sword not touching me. "So you have reflexes. That's a good start. But you need to learn to include your sword." I nodded and this time, I blocked. My arms hurt from the power he had used. He may look thin, but there are only muscles. I held my blade with the tip slightly towards the ground and his sword slid to the left, then came from the side. I took a step back, but he came after me and I had to block, deflecting the attack again. He grinned. "That's impressive. At least I don't have to get you started from 0. You have a base in fighting. But… I wonder where's you limit." This time I didn't even see the attack. His sword stopped right next to my ribs. My eyes were wide. "Keep going. I ain't stopping anytime soon." He kept attacking and I kept blocking, his speed having resumed to the initial one. Sometimes I saw openings and took advantage of them, but he was just leaving traps. Hirako didn't go easy on me. He was stronger, a lot stronger than me and wanted to make it obvious. His sword would pass through my defenses and stop mere millimeters from my body. At noon, my arms gave up and I dropped the sword. I looked at Hirako. He barely seemed troubled. His clothes were perfectly neat, his look uncaring and his grip on the wooden sword was as good as it had been in the morning. "Done already?" he asked.

I nodded. "My arms hurt."

He raised an eyebrow. "Legs?"

I checked. "Fine."

Hirako grinned. "Good. Rest a little."

'A little' meant about one minute to him. However, my energy was pretty much restored and I shocked him by jumping up when he called me. "Now I wanna see how well you dodge. You can't use your arms, you just have to dodge my attacks. Hand to hand combat."

I nodded and stepped to the left as he came at me instantly. He wasn't going all-out, he had started quite slow, so he was underestimating me. He slowly began moving faster and soon I had difficulty keeping up, so I tried to attack, kicking his in the stomach. He dodged. "Not using your arms, huh? Forget about that. Come at me with all you've got."

I tried to punch him, but he caught my arm and twisted it. Using the twisting motion, I spun and aimed a kick at his head. He dodged and let go of my arm. I slid away from him, keeping my guard up. He grinned. "What?" I asked.

"You ain't bad at all. Just gotta learn to use your reiatsu." He appeared right in front of me and I barely blocked his next attacks.

"Isn't… that… what… you're… supposed… to be… teaching… me?" I asked between blows, as I tried to keep my breath.

"Not really." He kicked me hard in the stomach and I flew away into a boulder. I tried to stand up. It hurt really bad, worse than anything I ever felt. I tried to even my breathing and clench my muscles, then relaxed them slowly. My back was a sea of pain. Hirako came to me and crouched to my level.

"Are you okay?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Take a wild guess." I sat up. My back still hurt. I made some warm-up exercises and figured nothing was broken. He had been watching me. "Nothing broken."

He nodded. "Then keep going."

I pouted. "I'm starving." I whined. "I haven't eaten anything all morning."

Hirako rolled his eyes. "Okay." He shunpoed us to a restaurant.

* * *

As we got there and I looked at the menu, I realized I had no idea what to order, so I simply said I wanted the same he did. The waiter brought our food and I started eating, a little clumsily with those Chinese stick things. Hirako chuckled at me, but spared me and made no comments. Although I had been the one to ask for food, he ate about twice as much as me. Then…he ordered some sake. I settled on water. I was 15 so no alcohol. He didn't say anything.

Then Yoruichi came in, with a panting Soi Fon behind her. "Oh, drinking without me, Hirako?"

"Her highness wanted to eat and I figured some sake would do me good." I glared at him, but he ignored me.

Yoruichi laughed. "You're as serious as always. Are you that much of a burden, dear?" she asked me.

I shook my head. "I like to think that I'm not."

"Taught her anything?"

He shrugged. "Shunpo's your stuff."

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. "Really? Arigato. You aren't bad at it either. After me and Hikifune, you're certainly there." Hirako rolled his eyes. "Anything else?"

"Basic stuff. I have a nice foundation to build on. Reflexes, strength, agility, stamina. If she learns to use reiatsu she may be able to give me a run for my money. But that's your thing, as I said."

"Yoruichi-san doesn't have time to do the job you were assigned to!" Soi Fon yelled. I had forgotten she was there. Like me, her presence was fading around the two. Hirako glared at her and she returned it.

Yoruichi chuckled. "It's not that. Chill, Soi Fon, I want to do this." The future Taicho returned to her place. I sighed. "Anything wrong, Koizumi-chan?"

I shook my head. "Nothing, I'm just a little tired. That's all."

"Oh, and here I wanted to get you started later today." Yoruichi pouted playfully. "It's your fault, Hirako."

"I'm fine." I quickly said. "My energy restores pretty quick. We can get started even now."

She nodded. "Then let's." Hirako paid and they shunpoed me to the training grounds of the 5th.

Later that day, I found myself panting. "Try again, with less reiatsu this time." I nodded and focused. I concentrated the energy into my legs, but this time I took off before too much gathered. I stopped right next to Yoruichi. She grinned. "Good. Now go to Hirako." I took a deep breath and complied, stopping where I wanted to. Then I went to Soi Fon. The three were standing in various places on the training grounds. Then Yoruichi wanted me to try and attack her as I shunpoed towards her again. I did and she blocked, smiling. After a few more rounds, I had to call it quits. I was standing on my legs, but they were shaking visibly. My forehead was sweaty. My three 'teachers' agreed to end the class.


	4. Phone rings

It was past sunset when we went home. I got changed then sprawled myself on the bed. Hirako seemed all uncaring. I was really tired and I felt like he thought I was hopeless. I took a deep breath and asked the question that had been bugging me all day. "How did I do today?"

The initial silence made me really scared, but I tried to hide it. Then Hirako finally answered. "You did great, considering this was your first day. I really expected you to collapse before noon. The shunpo training was unplanned, but you were amazingly good at it. It takes others years to master shunpo."

He had spoken in his bored and monotone voice, not interested in the subject at all. Although he was praising me, I still felt uncertain about his words. I knew, however, that he wouldn't just say it to make me feel better. "Arigato." I replied.

Hirako turned towards me confused. "For what?"

I shrugged. "Everything."

He rolled his eyes. "You really are weird."

His words confused me. "Why?"

"Just like that. Rest. Long day tomorrow. I won't be going easy on you like I did today."

I nodded. "Goodnight."

* * *

In the morning, my whole body hurt. Like hell. I could barely breathe without hurting. I forced myself in a sitting position and thought about what I could do. It hit me rather quick. I remembered the days when I got muscle-bound from karate. But this was new. I had never felt that bad. Usually a small massage did the trick, but this time I was rather unsure about the whole thing. My back hurt pretty badly as well. The pain felt different from the rest of my body. I started massaging my arms. The strain didn't vanish completely, but it became manageable at least. Then I did my legs. As I was almost done, Hirako woke up. He seemed quite confused. "What the fuck are you doing?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. Most polite question ever. "Muscle-bound. Dealing with it." I answered.

He nodded and left the room, probably to get changed.

I had finished dealing with being muscle-bound, but my back still hurt like hell. I stood up and went towards the bathroom. Hirako was tying his belt as I passed the living-room, but I ignored him. I went into the bathroom and took my blouse off, not without a certain dose of pain. My shoulders still hurt. I couldn't reach them easily. I tried to twist my head to see how my back looked, but I couldn't refrain the shriek of pain that escaped my lips as I twisted my entire back. It hurt. And I didn't see anything either. "Hey, are you alright?" It was Hirako, from the living room. I didn't answer, afraid that my voice would betray my tears. It hurt really badly and I couldn't help but wonder why. "Listen, Koizumi, I'm coming in if you don't answer." The previous day nothing seemed wrong. I was only in my bra and pants, but I honestly didn't care. I was on the ground. My back was towards the door and I heard it open. I heard a gasp, then I felt a hand on my back. I shied away at first, but when he spoke again I froze. "Why didn't you say anything? This looks pretty bad, you could have said something." Hirako seemed worried.

'You would have made fun of me!' I wanted to scream, I probably did in my mind, but I didn't say it aloud. My eyes were filling with tears again, but I held them back. "It didn't hurt yesterday." I said instead.

He sighed. He was still behind me, we hadn't had any eye contact since he had entered, and he probably had no idea that I was crying. That was what I hoped, at least. The pain was slowly subsiding and was replaced by a rather warm feeling. My tears had stopped and I wiped my eyes with my hands. "Don't move." Hirako grunted. "I need to focus for this."

"Okay. Sorry." Healing Kido, probably. I didn't move or speak until he stood up. I did the same. We were standing face to face, but I wasn't looking at him. I was looking at the ground, like child caught red-handed. "I didn't think it was this bad."

"You already said that, okay? I get it. You didn't know. Koizumi, look at me." I shyly obeyed. I wasn't at all comfortable in the situation and I felt stupid for hiding such a wound. Hirako rolled his eyes. "Don't be such a kid. You said sorry. Apologies accepted. Now get over it."

I nodded. I hadn't expected him to be like this. Friendly. "Arigato."

He grinned and ruffled my hair. "It's my job to take care of you, remember?" He turned away, walking towards the door. "Breakfast is in 5 minutes. Put some clothes on."

I blushed crimson red as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

~~~~~Several weeks later~~~~

I was in Hirako's bathroom, which had become my 'meditation place', as he had gotten to call it. I smirked bitterly, thinking about the past weeks. I was starting to miss my home, my parents and my preciously few friends. I sighed, locking the thought away like always. I was never going to see them again. Past is past for a reason. Then my thoughts returned to the Bleach world and a small twinge of uneasiness surrounded me. 'What will happen when they Hollowfy? What will I do then?' I gulped. Hirako was lazy, sarcastic and overall mean. He made fun of everything and everybody and never took anything seriously. He also seemed eager to get rid of me. My training was rough. After only a week, he had already told me to start using my zanpakutou, and he did the same. I was still clumsy with a sword, my slashes were inexperienced, my arms were weak and my reflexes were telling me to drop the sword and fight hand to hand. I was holding the sword so tight that my hands hurt really badly in the evening. Maybe it was my fault as well… I never actually complained about it. But maybe he had noticed, because in the evening he would scan me and smile sarcastically, saying how the next day would be worse. I was just glad that today we were taking a break. My body needed to recover. I was pretty sure that one day I would trip and fall on his sword…

I came out of the bathroom and saw that Hirako had already set the table for lunch. That was new. Usually we ate lunch out, or so I thought. I sat down and we both started eating. The blonde male in front of me was usually uninterested in any sort of conversation. That day was different. He started asking me about my previous life, which I tried to be as vague as possible. Then… "How did you get here?"

I shrugged. Nothing worth hiding. "Well, you see… I came home… and I started drawing, without really paying attention, then it was finished and it seemed so real… the people were walking and stuff. I tried to touch it and my hand went through. I thought whether I wanted to leave and… I decided to. However, I took something with me, I thought. When I came into this world, I had my telephone in my left hand." I said. "But it was gone when I reached the other side."

He raised an eyebrow. "When you came into this world, you had your zanpakutou in your left hand." He said.

I gasped. "Really? But… my phone became my… zanpakutou…"

Hirako grinned. "Well, that's interesting."

I didn't say anything. I was thinking. 'Did it transform completely… or can I still use it as a phone?' As if to answer my thoughts, the sword started vibrating and the song Eminem: 'I'm not afraid' played. Hirako had a look of pure shock on his face. I spun the sword in my hand and the song stopped, but I heard a voice. *Alo?* I stopped breathing in that very moment.

*S-Sara?* I answered.

*Emilia, doamne, esti in viata, nu-mi vine sa cred! Am auzit ce s-a intamplat si nu mi-a venit sa cred! Mama ta mi-a zis ca nu ti-au putut gasi telefonul si m-am gandit sa te sun! Unde esti, oricum ? Nimeni nu a mai reusit sa te sune. Nu ai semnal ?*

I glanced at the blonde Taicho trying to eavesdrop. I knew he didn't know the language. *Sara… e complicat. Uite, sunt in Bleach.*

"What kind of crappy language are you speaking, Koizumi?" Hirako asked.

I shoved him away. "Don't do this." I said. "I'll tell you when I'm finished." My eyes were teary. I couldn't believe I could speak to someone from home. I was so happy. "Please."

Hirako rolled his eyes. "Okay. If it means oh-so-much to you." He replied sarcastically and sprawled on the couch.

My attention returned to Sara, my old friend. *Cum adica esti in Bleach? Stai putin, vocea aia… e Shinji!* I pulled the phone from my ear as she let loose one of those ear-breaking fangirl screams. Hirako had heard it. He looked at me with the most genuine WTF face I've ever seen from him.

*Hei, mai incet, ca te-a auzit si el ! Si vorba aia, e la vreo 2 metri de mine.*

*Oricum, cum ai ajuns acolo ? Vreau si eeeeeu ! *

I sweat dropped. *Nu vrei, crede-ma. Nu ma pot intoarce. Only my soul passed the portal.* I had spoken in English because I didn't know how to put it in Romanian. Hirako looked at me.

*Aah, nasol. Oricum, cum va intelegeti? E, merge ca in povestea ta?*

*Mdea, pe dracu. Ne certam cu fiecare ocazie. E enervant, narcisist, se crede buricul pamantului and he's a huge asshole!*

Said blonde glared from the couch. "I have a feeling you're talking about me. I'm so not whatever-the-fuck you just said."

I pulled the phone/zanpakutou from my ear. "You think?"

"Depends on what you said."

I rolled my eyes and listened to Sara. *Aww, va certati ca un cuplu de batrani casatoriti.* I blushed crimson red.

*Nu am chef de asta, Sara !*

*Oricum, pe unde e actiunea ?*

I sighed. *Turn back the Pendulum arc. Hai sa nu vorbim despre asta, ca dupa aia o sa ma intrebe.*

*Si ? Minte-l .*

*Uiti un lucru. Vorbim despre singurul om care l-a suspectat vreodata pe Aizen. Chiar crezi ca n-o sa-si dea seama ca eu mint?* Hirako flinched at the mention of his Fukutaicho.

Sara laughed. *Bine, bine, oricum, ce mai faci ? Cum te intelegi cu restul ?*

*Destul de bine, sincer. Narcisistul asta e cam singurul care a reusit sa ma enerveze. Si iti vine sa crezi ca locuiesc cu el ? Adica, pe bune acum, ce organizare !* I was walking around the room, telling her all my complains. *Am fost dusa in fata intrunirii capitanilor si findca desteptul asta a intarziat, l-au pricopsit cu mine! Parca zici ca sunt cine stie ce mare povara! Si sti de ce nu m-au trimis la academie? Pentru ca si deoarece eu deja stiam Shikai ! Cum mama masii ? Nici nu stiu unde era mai bine, acasa sau aici (unde ma simt ca un bagaj, o povara).* She had been listening to my rant, not saying anything. We barely saw each other once or twice a year. She didn't know my everyday life. I wiped my eyes, noticing they were teary. "Tch." *Oricum, vrei sa stii cum am trecut dincoace?*

*Da, sunt totusi curioasa. Adica trebuie sa fie ceva special. Nu ?*

*Un desen. Culmea. Am ajuns acasa, am inceput sa desenez si arata extra real, am bagat mana prin el si pana la urma am intrat cu totul, cu telu in mana. Pe partea cealalta erau toti Visoreds ca si capitani si vice-capitani.*

*O, nasol. Cred ca… totusi, ce vei face ? Tu stii ce se va intampla.*

*Da, stiu . Asta e partea cea mai rea. Dar nici nu a iesit Kurotsuchi din inchisoare inca… deci mai am timp.*

*Emilia, tu ii poti salva. Ii poti ajuta sa nu treaca prin toate alea.*

*Da, stiu, dar nu stiu ce sa fac ! Daca le zic si nu ma cred ? Sau daca nu pot face ei nimic ? Sau, mai sti ? Daca afla Aizen si ii omoara ? Te-ai gandit la asta ? Daca ii omoara ? Nu vreau asta ! Nu vreau sa moara nimeni din cauza mea ! Nici macar nesimtitul asta.*

Sara sighed. *Ai acolo o situatie nasoala, dar stiu ca o poti rezolva. Pana la urma, tu esti scriitoarea, nu eu.* She used to say that a lot when I asked her to help me with the plot of my stories. I really missed it. Now, I was merely an OC in Bleach.

I sighed. *Da. Destul despre mine. Cum e la voi ?*

*Cum sa fie ? Lumea te jeleste. Doctorii nu au fost in stare sa-si dea seama cum ai murit etc. Cam atat. Au incercat si altii sa te sune. Doar eu am reusit.* She was really proud of that, I could tell.

*Sa mai suni. Stii, poate faci un fanfiction cu ceea ce am facut eu.*

*A, desigur ! Mersi de idee. Mai vorbim !* She cheerfully replied.

*Pa.*

I tied the sword to my side and looked at Hirako. He didn't look particularly happy, but I was in no mood to talk or be interviewed, so I stood up and walked out. "Nakataka Koizumi! Get back here!" he yelled after me. I looked over my shoulder at him. "Don't follow me, please." I whispered, then vanished in shunpo.

I was on the edge of a cliff. I didn't know where I had come from, or where I was going afterwards. I also had my zanpakutou with me, which meant I could leave if I wanted to. I sat down, looking in front of me. 'Why did I come here? What was I hoping for, anyway? That I could find somebody who **cared**? What a joke!' Tears fell down my cheeks. This time, though, I didn't bother wipe them. Arashi was silent, like most of the time. He wasn't trying to get to me, not because he didn't care, but because he didn't know what to do or say. He agreed with me that human beings were selfish. I was like that, so why did I want the others to be different? I looked at the clouds covering the sky and saw that it had started to rain. I didn't move at all. Why would I, after all? Where would I go? I didn't want to go back to Hirako, I didn't want to explain to him what I had told Sara, I didn't want him to ask why I had said Aizen's name twice. I just wanted to be left alone. _'Master, you should control your reiatsu. Otherwise the rain will get worse.'_

'I don't care. Please, just leave me alone.' Arashi didn't add anything. The rain got worse, but I didn't feel it. Instead, I felt unknown clothing on my head. "I told you not to come after me."

"Can you recall even one time I listened to anybody without being threatened to?" It was Hirako, I knew. I didn't look at him. I didn't want to talk. He sighed. "Come. Let's go home. You may catch a bad cold here."

"Well, I have this." I ran my hand over the raincoat he had draped over me, only to see it was actually his captain haori. "Don't expect to get it back in the near future."

"Koizumi…"

"I said I want to be alone, didn't I?" I almost screamed. I felt my voice crack. In that moment, I hated myself for being so weak.

He sat behind me, hugging me. My eyes widened. "Koizumi, please. I won't ask what you spoke with that girl, okay? It's your business, it's your life, she's your friend. I just want you to come back, because I know you're going to run away. And I'm not letting you do that." His tone was pleading, and I felt warm from his touch. A foreign feeling I had always sought. But…

I closed my eyes, trying to hold in the tears. "Why do you pretend to care? We both now you don't."

He chuckled slightly. It felt bitter. "It's easy to pretend you don't care. The hard thing is pretending that you do."

I gulped. "Why would you do that?"

"Because you didn't seem like the kind of girl that would appreciate it. I was wrong and I realized it now."

He was right, I knew. What I didn't know was what I actually wanted. I didn't say anything. He scoped me up bridal style and shunpoed us home. I didn't oppose. I laid my head on his shoulder and fell asleep. The sun was starting to emerge from between the clouds. It was a new beginning altogether.

* * *

**A/N: The phone conversation isn't all that relevant to the story. It's just a chitchat with a fangirl friend of mine. But, if anyone wants it, I may post it in English.**


	5. Am I ugly?

At night, I was woken up by a light snore. I slowly sat up, scanning the room I found myself in. I was covered by a blanket, which surprisingly wasn't on the floor and Hirako was sleeping on the other bed. I figured he was the cause for my waking up. I got out of bed, pulling the blanket close to me. I felt quite cold, but I knew I wouldn't get sick. My body was stronger than that and I hadn't even gotten that wet, unlike a certain someone. His long hair couldn't have helped either. I went to him and shook him slightly. He groaned in annoyance. "Shinji, you were snoring." I said, yawning. Then I processed my words and blushed. He didn't notice.

"Let me sleep. I'm sick."

His statement made me freeze. I touched his forehead and it was burning. "Hey, you have high temperature… should I get Unohana?" I was scared. I didn't know what to do. My medical knowledge was little to none.

He sighed, rising a little. "Get me some tissues. I'm fine. No need to wake her up in the middle of the night. Get her in the morning if you want." I complied, not saying anything. He blew his nose and told me to get him some medication from the bathroom. I complied with everything he said, unable to say anything. If he got sick, it was my fault and I knew it all too well. Soon he was back asleep, as if nothing had happened. I fell asleep as well. After all, I was a heavy sleeper.

* * *

In the morning, Hirako didn't look much better, but his fever was gone. He sat up, muttering something like "Crappy work stealing my sleep hours." I sighed. He would miss it. But that's how people are, never content with what they have. I made some tea, which we drank together. I put in about three spoons of sugar, while he was watching me, his cup in his hand, amusement clear on his face. "You have a sweet tooth."

I pouted. "No, I don't. Well, I do like things a little bit sweeter, but not too sweet."

He smirked. "I prefer less sweet, but sweet doesn't bother me."

"And that's why you're skinnier than me."

He glared. "I'm not bony."

I tilted my head to the side. "I said you're skinnier than me. That doesn't make you bony."

Hirako looked at me incredulous for a few moments. Then, it seemed to click with him. "You think you're fat?"

I blushed under his gaze. It felt weird to talk to him about that kind of stuff. "Not fat, actually… just a little overweight."

"Say what?"Hirako almost yelled. I blushed even more. Just the way he was looking at me… I would have rather been anywhere else in that moment. He chuckled. "You're not _overweight_, Koizumi. You're just fine. Girls should be curvy, anyway."

I shrugged, rubbing my left arm. "I'm not too curvy either. My breasts are pretty small." I whispered.

He tilted his head to the side. He had been resting his head on his hand, on the table. "Really?" he pressed. "You certainly have self-esteem issues." I looked away. My cheeks were on fire. I had only once had that kind of conversation with one of my classmates and he had said I wasn't anything special, a little under average actually. He had even called me fat. That had been in the 6th grade (12 years old me), though. Nevertheless, it had made me feel dull and it could have been the reason I thought so little of myself. "Well, when you get a little older, you will certainly be labeled 'hot' in my book."

I looked back at Hirako. He had a serious look, so he wasn't joking. "That's a little overestimating me." I said.

He laughed, sipping his tea afterwards. "Nah. You'll see, men will fight over you."

My blush had been slowly disappearing, but now it returned full force. "That won't happen in the next 100 years!" I yelled.

Hirako smirked. "Of course not. It will begin in about 10, possibly less. Hikifune will be overprotective of you."

I palled. "Who is she?" I asked, pretending not to know.

"Oh, right. She was in a mission when you were assigned to me. Oh, well, she's the captain of Division 12. You'll like her." He assured.

My eyes were wide. 'I arrived… before the Turn back the Pendulum arc!' I stood up, going to the bathroom. Hirako didn't say anything. After all, I didn't have to tell him everything. I washed my face and looked at myself in the mirror. 'Hikifune will get promoted. That's when the countdown starts.' I tried to assure myself. I took a deep breath, shooing the thought away. Then I looked at myself in the mirror. I tried to understand what Hirako saw so pretty at me. I wasn't beautiful. I was dull. Ordinary. Nothing special. So what did he see? I tilted my head to the side, then looked at myself from different angles. "Eyes." I yelped in surprise. Hirako was standing in the door frame, looking at me. He sighed. "You were thinking what's so special about you, right?" I nodded. "Your eyes."

I shifted uncomfortably. "The color is nothing special." I said.

He shrugged. "Really? Is it black, or is it hazel? Or rather… red?" I froze. It had occurred to me before. From a certain angle, my eyes were a dark red, almost like blood. I had always brushed it off as my hidden desire. "A mystery, that's what they are. Hard to read, closed for commoners, a depth easy to get lost in." He was walking towards me. I gulped, my heart beats increasing. "And those lashes don't help either. They make them even deeper." He was in front of me. He tilted my chin upwards so I locked eyes with him. He smirked, as if proud of himself for figuring that out. "A trap, that's what they are. Once in, the way out is hard, maybe even impossible. You should know they're the best weapon you can have. Cherish it." He pulled back, grinning. "You're not as dull as you think. But in this world, this won't keep you alive. Come on, let's get you trained."

I nodded and followed him to the fighting ground. 'WTF did just happen?


End file.
